Sri Lanka overpower New Zealand to secure place in final
Charlie Austin - 31 July 2001
Sri Lanka booked themselves a guaranteed berth in the final of the
Coca Cola Cup with an overwhelming 106-run victory over New Zealand at
the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo today.
Their authoritative display also keeps India's hopes of qualification
alive. If India win their final two games, they will qualify for the
final. If they slip up against Sri Lanka tomorrow though, New Zealand
will qualify by virtue of having already beaten them twice.
Sri Lanka owed their victory to their best batting performance of the
tournament. The middle order finally kicked into life and the home
team rattled up an imposing 221 in 36 overs on by far the best batting
pitch of the tournament.
The New Zealand run chase then started disastrously as man of the
match Chaminda Vaas plucked out three wickets and Dilhara Fernando
bowed a fiery new ball spell. The Clear Black Caps slumped to 18 for
five within the first eight overs and never stood a chance thereafter,
eventually finishing on 115 for nine.
Stephen Fleming, back in the side after stomach trouble, had won the
toss after morning drizzle and elected to field first on a wicket
which traditionally offers the faster bowlers some assistance in the
morning, but statistically still favours the side batting first.
Avishka Guawardene (38) - pulled into the side at the last moment,
after 14 overs had been lopped off the innings - opened with Sanath
Jayasuriya (20) and the pair set the tone for the innings by adding 32
runs at nearly a run a ball.
That pace was maintained thereafter despite the loss of Jayasuriya in
the sixth over. Romesh Kaluwitharana joined Gunawardene and the pair
added 57 runs for the second wicket before Kaluwitharana was
athletically run out by Jacob Oram at backward point.
Gunawardene followed four overs later, but the momentum was continued
by Marvan Atapattu (34) and Mahela Jayawardene (58) in a 56-run stand.
Jayawardene, batting on his club ground, immediately looked more at
ease than he had in the previous four games. He batted fluently and
hit two majestic straight sixes in his 46-ball half-century.
With support at the death by Russel Arnold (22*) the pair took the
game out of New Zealand's reach by scoring 96 runs in the final 11
overs.
After a shortened luncheon interval, which gave them hardly enough
time to put on their pads, let alone have a bite to eat, Matthew
Sinclair (1) and Nathan Astle (4) were on the back foot as Chaminda
Vaas bowled his best spell of the series.
Curving the ball into the right-handers he trapped Sinclair leg before
in his second over and then induced an indifferent prod from Oram (0),
who was then well caught at slip by Arnold for a second ball duck.
Fleming (6) then tried to weather the testing new ball bursts of Vaas
and Fernando. Whilst Vaas probed intelligently away, Fernando hurried
both the batsmen, jagging the ball off the seam.
Fleming's resistance ended in the seventh over as he carved a catch to
second slip. Craig McMillan followed in the next over, carelessly run
out by a direct hit from Jayawardene, and Nathan Astle ensured that
New Zealand had no chance when he was immediately snapped up in the
slips.
New Zealand batted out the rest of the innings, anxious that their net
run rate not be decimated by such a comprehensive defeat. With relief
they passed their record lowest score of 64 against West Indies in
1986, but they only limped to the hundred mark after some biffs by
last man Darryl Tuffey (20*).
New Zealand will no doubt watch tomorrow's crucial encounter with
greater interest and will be hoping that Sri Lanka make a better fight
of it than they did last Sunday when the lost by six wickets to India.
© CricInfo
Teams
|
New Zealand,
Sri Lanka.
|
Players/Umpires
|
Mahela Jayawardene,
Stephen Fleming,
Romesh Kaluwitharana,
Avishka Gunawardene,
Marvan Atapattu,
Russel Arnold,
Dion Nash,
Craig McMillan,
Daryl Tuffey,
Nathan Astle,
Daniel Vettori,
Chaminda Vaas,
Kumar Dharmasena,
Dilhara Fernando.
|
Tournaments
|
Coca-Cola Cup (Sri Lanka) |
Scorecard
|
7th Match: New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 31 Jul 2001 |
Grounds
|
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
|